Chapter 12
Back at Pete’s Place in Philadelphia, Sarah and Karen were wiping off the tables when Brandon walked in. Sarah looks over towards the front door and smiles. “John!” she said excitedly as ran over to him and threw her arms around him with a kiss. She looks at Brandon’s face and notices his somber expression. “John, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” said Brandon, “Can we go somewhere private?”
“Um, yeah, sure,” said Sarah, and then she looks over at Karen, “Karen, can you cover for me?”
“Sure,” said Karen.
Sarah takes off her apron and she and Brandon leave the building. Brandon takes Sarah to his apartment building and up to the roof. “Ok, what’s so bad that you had to bring to the roof of the apartment building where you live?” Sarah asked.
“This isn’t easy for me to say so I’ll just come out with it,” Brandon started, “Sarah, my name isn’t John. It’s Brandon.”
“That’s it. So your name isn’t John,” Sarah said a little confused, “Why do I feel like there’s more to this than just your name?”
“There is more, Sarah. But I can’t think of a way to say it,” Brandon said as he turned and walked away from her a few steps.
“It’s that difficult to tell me,” Sarah was growing more concerned.
“I’m afraid that it would be hard for you to understand and that you might think differently of me,” Brandon said sadly.
“Jo…Brandon, you are the first guy that I’ve really cared a lot about and I feel as though that you should be able to tell me anything without hesitation if you care about me the same way,” Sarah said sincerely, “I know that we’ve only been together for a short time but…during that time I‘ve fallen in love with you. So whatever it is that you have to tell me, I promise that it won’t make me think of you differently.”
Brandon stood silent for a couple of minutes. “Alright, I’ll tell you; well rather I’ll show you. But you have to promise me that what I’m about to reveal, that you do not tell anyone else.”
“I promise,” said Sarah.
Brandon turns toward Sarah and says, “Ok, I’ll show you but remember your promise. You cannot tell anyone what you’re about to see,” Sarah looks at Brandon as he stood still for a bit and then he began to emit small charges of lightning. She watches in awe as Brandon surrounded his body with more streams of lightning that glowed brightly. The lightning traces down his body and form his trench coat; then the lightning gathers at his hands and form his gloves and finally in a bright flash of lightning around his head, his hat is formed. The lightning around Brandon ceases and Sarah stood awestruck. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Y-you…you’re Guardian?” she said dumbfounded.
“Yeah, I’m Guardian,” said Guardian. Then he takes off his hat, “Sarah, listen, I never meant to hurt you but please understand that I had to keep my identity a secret. If anyone found out about me or, even worse, about you, I don’t know what I would do. I know this is hard for you to understand but please understand one thing; I am still the same guy you met three months ago and I care about you deeply.” Guardian waits for a response from Sarah, but she remains silent. “I don’t blame you for not saying anything. I know I deceived you and I’m sorry, and if you were to turn away right now and not look back, I would understand.” Again he waits for Sarah’s answer, and she still doesn’t give him one. “Ok, so I guess this is goodbye.” Guardian said sadly. He puts on his hat and starts walking toward to edge of the roof.
Sarah starts thinking about the past three months she has spent with Brandon and about all the fun they had together; she began to ask herself if she really wanted to give him up. “Do I want to lose the only guy I’ve ever cared about so much? I mean, so what if he’s Guardian. He’s still the same…” Sarah thought to herself. Then she said aloud, “Guardian.” Guardian turns around from the roof’s edge and looks at Sarah. She starts to walk toward him slowly at first; then she runs up to him and hugs him tightly. “I don’t want to lose you,” She said sobbing slightly.
“I don’t want to lose you either,” Guardian said as he embraced her.
They held each other for a few more moments when Sarah asks, “So what’s it like to fly?”
“You really want to know?” asked Guardian as they loosened their embrace. Sarah nods her head ‘yes’. “Alright, I’ll show you.” He scoops Sarah up in his arms. “You ready?” he asked her.
“Yep,” Sarah said happily, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“Ok, hold on,” said Guardian, and then he slowly rises in to the air. When they are high enough, Guardian begins to fly steadily over the city. Sarah was amazed at how beautiful the city looked from high in the sky. She was able to make out many of the sites including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell pavilion, and City Hall. She giggles happily as Guardian glides of Philadelphia, taking her to different areas of the city and flying by skyscrapers including his favorite lookout point, the Winchester Office building. After a while, he flies Sarah back to the roof of the Doral II apartment building. Upon landing, Sarah climbs off Guardian’s back and Guardian turns around to look at her.
“So where do you have to go now?” asked Sarah.
“Well I have to go and save the world from evil,” Guardian said.
“Will I ever see you again?”
“Of course, I’ll always come to you whenever I have the chance.” Guardian then reaches his hand out and tenderly rubs her cheek, “No matter where I’m at, I will always be thinking of you. Whenever you get lonely or whenever there’s a thunderstorm, I want you to think of me. I love you, Sarah.”
“I love you too, Guardian,” Sarah said as she stared at him sweetly, “When you kiss me this time, make it worth my wile.”
Guardian cups Sarah’s face in his hands and kisses her passionately. As they kiss, Guardian emits small charges of electricity through his body, causing Sarah to gasp and kiss him even more. After a few more moments, they break their passionate embrace and Sarah breathes a satisfying ‘Wow’. Then she looks at Guardian and says sadly, “So I guess this is goodbye.”
“No, not goodbye. This is ‘see you later’.” Guardian reassured her.
“I’m going to miss you.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll be back.” Then Guardian holds out his hand and one of his whips materializes, “Here something to remember me by.” Sarah takes the whip and steps back from Guardian a couple of paces. “I love you, Sarah,” said Guardian.
“I love you too,” Sarah said with tears in her eyes.
“Alright, Edenia, I’m ready.” Then a soft white light appeared around Guardian as stared back at the only other woman he has ever loved in his life. “I’ll be back, Sarah; I promise,” he said, and then the light glowed brightly and quickly faded away. “I’ll be waiting, Guardian,” Sarah said with grief as tears streamed down her face. She then turned toward the door on the roof and walked to it and made her way out of the apartment building while holding Guardian’s whip tightly.
Later that night, a thunderstorm makes its visit to Philadelphia as rain poured down on the city and lightning illuminated the sky. Sarah is leaving from work and, instead of heading home, walks in the opposite direction and heads toward the Doral II apartment building. As she is walking, she stops at Love Park and looks up at the ‘Love’ sign near the park’s entrance. She starts thinking about Guardian and takes his whip out of her tote bag and looks up at the sky. Guardian’s last words to her enter her mind as the lightning dances across the sky followed by thunder. Sarah unravels the whip and holds it as she thinks about the last thing he told her, ‘No matter where I’m at; I will be thinking of you. I’ll be back, Sarah; I promise.’ The rain pours down on Sarah as she thinks about the only guy who made her feel special. Then she raises the whip above her head and swings it down hard, snapping it in tune with the thunder roaring through the sky. “I’ll be waiting,” Sarah said softly as she stands in the park holding Guardian’s whip amidst the storm’s drenching rain and sky dancing duo of thunder and lightning. She doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing, but one thing is certain deep within Sarah’s heart; she knows that Guardian will return to her one day and she will be waiting.
(The story begins HERE!! Get your copy of Defenders Volumes 1 and 2 through the links in the J1 Studios Bookstore for your Kindle and eBook device!! And check out my new fantasy novel Arcana X!! And see the witch dance with the devil in my fan fiction Dante vs. Bayonetta and it’s the angriest vs. the furious in “Kratos vs. Asura!!”)
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